


Boys and Girls

by winterfrostwidow



Series: Avengers High School Stories [4]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Crack, Girls being girls and boys being boys, Love, Staron - Freeform, Teenagers, Unresolved Romance, buckynat - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-03
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2019-04-17 20:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14197200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/winterfrostwidow/pseuds/winterfrostwidow
Summary: Bucky hates to see his best friend moping over a girl he's probably never gonna get.Natasha is tired of hearing Sharon moan about a guy who won't make a move.Bucky decides to do something about it.Natasha decides to make the whining stop and take action.And that's when she and Bucky meet.And now another hopeless romantic tension filled story begins.





	1. Chapter 1

"Today was the worst day at school!" Sharon begins as they enter her room. Natasha drops on her bed and groans shoving her face in her pillow. "As if Rumlow wasn't making it worse by trying to have his way with me."

 The blonde squirms just thinking about that perverted creep.

"Yes. Rumlow." Natasha slurrs, her face flat in the pillow.

"Guys at our school our fucking weirdos, I swear, Nat!"

Sharon paces around her bedroom, trying to contain her frustration.

"Are you even listening?!"

Natasha groans, turning to sit up and look her exasperated best friend. "I feel like this is about Rogers."

"No. It's not..."

Natasha narrows her eyes. She knows a lie when she hears one. 

"What? I promise!" Sharon crosses her arms over her chest petulantly. "I'm done talking about him."

Natasha tries not to laugh. "The last time you spoke about him was two hours ago. When he passed our table in the cafeteria and you wouldn't stop crying because he didn't acknowledge you."

Sharon blushes in embarrassment. "But a hello wouldn't have hurt still!"

Natasha laughs hard in her hands. "He was engaged in a conversation with his friend."

"Whatever." The blonde rolls her eyes. "I don't care anymore."

"Alright." The redhead simply prompts. As if she hasn't prepard herself to hear Sharon rant out about the charming Steve Rogers not glance at her even once. "Okay." She nods slowly. "Then I'm doing my homework because clearly this conversation is over..." She grabs her bag off her back.

"Nat!" 

Natasha huffs and glares at her. "Come on, spill the beans. I knew something was eating you."

"What if he likes me? I've seen the way he looked at me other times."

Natasha shrugs. "Then the boy likes you."

"What? You can't just say that. What if I'm reading this wrong?"

"Then it's your job to talk to him and find out." Natasha shrugs again.

"But it's not that easy!"

"Fine." She shrugs again. "I'll do it for you."

"Are you patronizing me?"

"What, you want to act like this is elementary school right? Send me as a messanger to go talk to him for you because you're too goddamn shy and _five_ to do it yourself." Natasha says impatiently. 

Sharon exhales. "Great friend you are."

"Yeah." Natasha gives her a serene smile. "I know. I should win an award."

The blonde glares at her sharply. "You know, you're bad at this."

Natasha grabs her homework books out and flips through the pages, ignoring her. 

Sharon watches her for a long moment, before she gives in and sits next to her. "God am I whining again?"

Natasha chuckles. "Yes."

"Sorry?" She pouts her lip.

The redhead wraps her arm around her shoulder to bring her closer to her side. "You don't have to apologise."

Sharon sighs. "I just.. he's just so..."

"I'll do something about it."

"What? Talk to him for me?" Sharon rolls her eyes.

"No. Not that. Don't worry." She smirks. "You trust me right?"

"When you do that smirk of yours... _no._ "

Natasha giggles. "I won't ruin this for you. I _promise_."

"Pinky promise?" Sharon shows her her pinky finger. 

Natasha shakes her head. "Fricking five year old."

_________________________________

 

Bucky scrutinizes Steve closely as they walk into the small restaurant after school.

They take a booth at a corner. 

His eyes narrow on him as they sit and he begins tapping his fingers against the table while his best friend acts like everything is alright.

Steve pretends to look around, evading Bucky's gaze.

 

"I'm right here you know." Bucky says.

Steve frowns at him. "Yeah, I see you." He nods slowly.

"So you can stop tryna avoid my eyes, because it's just the two of us anyhow."

Steve gives him a weak smile. "Yeah I got it, Buck."

 

The waitress comes and takes the two high schoolers' orders, smiling too brightly at Bucky before retreating. 

 

Steve groans. "How?" 

"How what?" Bucky chuckles.

"You get that many girls and you don't even care."

Bucky shrugs. 

"And look at me. I'm a mess, Buck!"

The brunette rolls his eyes. "Oh please. There are many girls that want you at school. You're too clueless to notice."

Steve sighs. "Yeah but not Sharon."

"Man, forget her. Isn't she Rumlow's girlfriend or some shit?" Bucky sneers.

"Brock is a jerk. She'd never go for him." Steve snaps, glaring at him.

Bucky snorts. "You sound like you know her _that_ well."

"That's because I do know her _that_ well."

"Look, man, you're only hurting yourself if you keep going like this. You need to let her go, Steve. You've been crushing on this dame since kindergarten and she will never look your way, not that way. Alright? Get over her. For your own sake."

Steve's face twists into a wounded puppy dog face quickly. "You don't understand. You like many girls and I like _one_ girl. And when I like her, it will take time to get over her."

"Yes, because you're a hopeless romantic. But I don't like watching you like this."

"Maybe you can do something about it "

Bucky wrinkles his nose. "What the fuck can I do? Talk to her for you?"

Steve pinches the bridge of his nose. "No, Buck, maybe be a good friend?"

Bucky huffs when their orders come along. He ignores the pretty waitress and instead fixes a glare on the blonde opposite him. "I'll fucking help you, alright." He rasps. "Only because I can't stand looking at you like this."

"So sweet, thanks, man." Steve smiles.

"Yeah I'm only doing it for my reputation." He grabs a fry from Steve's plate before digging into his own pancakes. "Can't be seen around sulky punks."

"Jerk."

"Dope." Bucky smirks.


	2. Chapter 2

If there's anything asked about Natasha Romanov, it's that she's a good damn friend. She's not trying to ruin things for Sharon, but she will go out of her way to figure this Rogers guy out. 

She sits next to him in English class. They haven't spoken not once, even while knowing Sharon has a humongous crush on him. So when she's scrutinizing him so openly, her chair facing him, while resting her chin on her palm with her elbow propped on the table, he turns to her slowly and looks back at her warily before asking, "Is there a problem?"

She narrows her eyes. "I don't know, is there?" She snaps.

He frowns. "I'm sorry," he closes his textbook slowly, "but your staring is making me uncomfortable."

"Is it?" She removes her palm. "Is it really?"

He raises an eyebrow in confusion. "Did I do something to you?"

She narrows her eyes again. "I don't know, did you?"

She's measuring him up and it's making him extremely intimidated. "You're...Sharon's friend?"  _BINGO._

She slams her palm against the table to add effect, making him flinch and swallow. She tries not to smirk. "What do you know about Sharon?"

 

"Miss Romanov."

 

Shit.

She flutters her eyes close and turns her seat back to the front again. She forces a smile at Mr Coulson. 

"Would you like to read for us? Seeing as doing nothing makes you disrupt the whole class." He snips coldly.

She sighs. "Yes, Mr Coulson."

She gives Rogers one last long glance.

 

___________________________

 

"Hey. Hawkboy." Natasha slams Clint back against his locker when he was about to retreat.

"It's hawk _eye._ " He corrects irritably. 

She ignores him. "You know everything in this school. You see everything." She let's go off his shirt collars and straightens some wrinkles on the shoulders. 

"That's why they call me Hawkeye. What information do you need, babe?" He smirks.

"I need to know who Steve Rogers's closest friend is. And I mean the one who he shares secrets with." 

"How do you not know this? His brooklyn bro, obviously, Nat."

She lifts the corner of her upper lip in confusion and impatience. " _What_?"

"Brooklyn Brothers. That's what they call them here. Steve Rogers is from Brooklyn, you know. Him & Barnes?" He spreads his arms as if it's supposed to ring a bell to her. Natasha never pays attention so he shouldn't be surprised of her ignorance.

"Barnes? Which Barnes? There's Allen Barnes, Benjamin Barnes-"

"Bucky Barnes." Clint rolls his eyes. "For fuck's sake, Tasha, you really need to stop living in a cave. He's one of the most popular, hottest guys in this school."

"You know, those words coming out of your mouth make you sound gay." 

"Fuck you."

She grins.

 

    Huh.

 Bucky Barnes.

 

She has an idea how he looks like.

 

' _What a shitty name._ ' She mutters.

 

______________________

 

Natasha and Sharon walk to their usual table in the cafeteria with their trays of lunch and take their seats. The others join soon, Darcy and Jane who are engaged in a physics conversation. 

Sharon rolls her eyes. "Are they even gonna say hi?" She asks Natasha who's scrolling through her phone. When the blonde doesn't get an answer, she snaps, "Nat!"

"Huh?" Natasha lifts her head up and forces a smile. "Oh."

"What are you doing?" She asks in irritation.

The redhead looks down her phone again and immediately turns it off when Sharon almost gets a peek of Steve Rogers's school profile and the hot gallery images on the screen. Natasha tries not to blush.

"What are you doing?" Sharon looks suspicious. 

"Did you know, your blondie crush was born on Independence Day? I mean, I'm Russian, it doesn't mean anything to me. But you, I mean this _is_ your favourite holiday. And did you know his favourite food is lasagana? You should learn to cook, Shar. Especially for times like these. His favourite colour is blue too, and he is such a geek about politics." Natasha rambles. 

Sharon drops her jaw.

"What are you two talking about?" Darcy quips, after letting Jane have the last words. 

Sharon narrows her eyes at Nat. "How would you know all that?" She glances down at her phone again.

"Oh we're talking about Steve, as always." Natasha answers Darcy, dodging Sharon's question. 

Jane rolls her eyes. "Oh my god, please."

"Not again, Shar." Darcy whines. "Why don't you just talk to muscle-boy already?"

"Are you fucking kidding me, you guys?" Sharon snaps, averting her gaze from Natasha to them, giving the redhead a chance to quickly exit the profile page before turning her phone back off. "As if _you_ talked to Bruce yet!"

"But, c'mon, at least Darcy doesn't _moan_ about him." Jane says.

Sharon widens her eyes. "But you won't stop moaning about Thor!" She accuses.

Natasha snorts. "Who? That new European guy?"

"Haha. Laugh all you want." Jane rolls her eyes and pouts. "But he's so fucking hot."

"Hey, we're not denying you that." Natasha smirks. "But you're too small for him. He'll crush you."

Darcy tries not to cackle.

 

"Oh what about you, Nat? Don't you have eyes for anyone at all?" Jane retaliates with a snap, making the redhead drop her smile. 

Sharon grins. "Natasha doesn't have time for boys, and yet they all want her."

"Why would anyone want me?" Natasha twists her upper lip. 

"Yeah, yeah. Act like you're totally not hot and gorgeous." Darcy says.

The redhead shrugs. "I don't have time for that kind of stuff, okay?"

"Mhm. Okay." Sharon nods. "...Hey what were you doing on your phone?" She asks suspiciously. 

"What, do you want to see?" Natasha smirks. "I'll give it to you if you want to check."

"No, it's fine." Sharon waves her hand in the air at her. "I know you got all that info about him on your phone just now though, no need to pretend, Nat."

"I told you I was gonna do something."

"She's seriously playing cupid right now?" Darcy asks.

Sharon shrugs. "Why don't you just ask her? She is right here, after all."

"Oh my god! Nat, I could really use your help to hook Bruce and I up! Pleeeaase."

 

Natasha groans.

 

__________________________

 

Mathematics class goes faster, as always. For others it's a drag because of their lack of enjoyment. Natasha has always been one for solving shit. Any type. From a sum, to a mystery, to figuring people out. She is a master at figuring people out without meeting them. So now she's glancing at Steve Rogers's best friend. Who, for some reason, she didn't know is in the same Math class as her. Again, she doesn't pay attention, not unless it's necessary. He does have that popular aroma going on. He's not bad to look at at all too. Clint was right about that part. But he also looks part nerd for some fucking reason. Natasha shakes her head.

 

When class ends, she packs her books away fast and waits outside the classroom door for him. He's still packing his books inside, talking to some jocks and other tall dudes. She rolls her eyes at the time she's wasting. She doesn't want to be late for her next class right now.    _Oh but there he comes fucking finally_.  She huffs.

He walks out the door not without glancing at her first and she stops him from retreating any further. He looks down at where she's holding his arm and she quickly let's go.

"Can I help you?" He frowns. 

He is quite tall, she has to crane her neck up a little. "Yes. You're Buddy Barnes right?"

He looks at her longer, before releasing a chuckle. "Ah, no. It's, it's _Bucky_."

 

"Right. That." She then clears her throat. "You're Steve's friend, right?"

"Yeah." He nods quickly, trying to make this go faster because obviously he has some place to be. 

"I'm Natasha." 

He chuckles again, but it's dry and weak. "Yeah I know. You're my neighbour."

She pauses and scrunches her face. "Your neighbour...?"

"Yes. For five years now." His frown deepens.

She is surprised to hear this. " _What_?"

He starts rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, I'll..." He looks around. "I'll make sure to see you later and you can tell me whatever-"

"Hey, Barnes, c'mon, man! We're gonna be late!" One of his friends call.

He sighs before forcing a weak smile at her. He leaves without saying anything else and she watches him go.

 

" _How_?" Neighbour?


	3. Chapter 3

Lorraine. 

The most popular and hottest girl at school. 

She is every boy's dream and every girl's nightmare. With her long blonde hair, hypnotizing doe blue eyes, thin smirking lips, and her beautiful thin body; no one's beauty can match with hers. Hell, she is considered the goddess of the whole fricking town even.

And she just might have made an enemy out of another goddess-looking blonde.

" _I fucking haaate her, Nat! God! I just want to prick her blue eyes out with a fucking pencil!"_

Natasha cringes putting up with Sharon's shouting through the phone. The redhead is in her slumber jill shorts and tank top, scrolling down a page on her laptop already in bed while having the phone pressed against her ear. "Uh-huh. Just tell me what happened, Shar. And maybe we can sort this thing out." She says dryly. 

She sighs when she hears Sharon take a long pause. Knowing that she's going to tell a story.

" _So it was when we parted ways after school did I see him leaning against his blue Nissan Sentra car. I was waiting for my mom under the school's front yard tree to come and fetch me so I couldn't help but look. It was nothing creepy like that, Nat. The parking lot was literally in front of me..."_

Natasha stands to stretch her legs and walks over to her bedroom window to find it still open. She presses her phone against her ear with her shoulder to close it with both hands but she freezes when she lays eyes on something, or rather  _someone_ , she has completely forgotten about.

" _So I just settled on watching him and then, then this-this Lorraine bitch comes along and throws herself at Steve. Like-like..._ " Sharon continues, her voice cracking.

 

Natasha's eyes widen at the sight she's stumbled across.

There, across from her window, is Bucky Barnes's window. And he is walking around his bedroom shirtless. His abs and muscular chest glistened with moistness meaning that he just stepped out of a shower. Natasha gulps hard and wonders if he's wearing anything below as all she can see is his upper body from her view. She watches his broad back in shock and her jaw slightly drops. All the rumbling and crying from Sharon goes over her head. 

 

And then he freezes, as if sensing eyes on him, before he fully turns around.

 

Natasha saw it coming. So ducks beneath her window before he can even lay his eyes on her.

 

"Shit!" She curses crouching down awkwardly.

 

" _I know right?! Like why would he allow her to kiss him! Nat, I am so angry! I-I am over him! I-.. am done, do you hear me? ...Nat?_ " Sharon sounds truly wounded, finally catching the redhead's attention through the phone.

Natasha frowns incredulously. "He kissed her?!"

" _No, she kissed him. But it makes no difference because it's not like he was even protesting!"_ Sharon snaps. _"God, are you even listening to me?!_ "

"Of course I'm listening!"

Sharon shakily gasps through the phone. " _I'm so irritated, and downright mad, Nat."_  And sad too. " _What was I thinking?"_

Natasha begins to fume. "I'm going to reign down upon him with a rainy firestorm he'll turn to fucking ashes, I swear." She threatens darkly.

" _Yeah thanks, Nat._ " Sharon sniffs.

 

"Are you really going to cry over a boy right now?" Natasha rolls her eyes. "Woman up, or whatever they say for females."

" _I'll woman up. I'm done acting like a silly little blonde._ " She spits. 

"That's my girl. Catch you later then. Goodnight." Natasha hangs up before Sharon's reply and stands up again, facing outside her window with courage this time.

She masks her surprise when she finds Bucky Barnes already standing by his window too, staring at her with sharp piercing eyes. He's wearing a thin grey shirt and sweatpants,   not that she cares. 

 

 

"Now you see." He says a little louder, coming closer to lean against his window frame staring intently at her.

Natasha doesn't move but feels even more uncomfortable as his eyes roam over her body. Her shorts and tank top aren't really the best cover up at night. She tries not to swallow. "Now I see." She says back. 

"You were watching me weren't you?" His sharp eyes narrow.

She grits her teeth, making the muscles of her jaw work. His _friend_ hurt _her_ friend and she will not leave it to that. "That doesn't matter. How about we talk about your best friend Steve." She says icily, her face stone and hard.

Bucky frowns. "What about him?"

"Does he know a girl named Sharon or not?" 

Bucky licks his lips slowly, a slight annoying distraction to her. "He does actually..." He seems reluctant to continue but she keeps her mouth shut so that he can say what he knows. "He talks a lot about her."

Natasha frowns. "Does he?" 

"Yes. They went to kindergarten together but were never that close." He shrugs.

She narrows her eyes coolly. "But he still talks about her a lot, especially to you..."

 

He stares at her longer, trying to figure her out. "At school, you were trying to ask me something."

 

"Your friend is an asshole." Natasha says flatly instead.

 

Bucky scowls. "Excuse me?"

"Your friend, Steve Rogers? He is a stinky donkey butthole." Natasha snaps. She can't believe the words coming out of her mouth. Usually Sharon is the type to say that kind of crap.

"Who the hell do you think you are to talk about him that way?" His scowl deepens, that of annoyance and disgust. He won't allow her to talk shit about his best friend.

"He broke my friend's heart. One simply does not hurt my friend and gets away with it." She says coldly. "Him and Lorraine have hell to pay."

 

Their loud vexed exchanges from their houses feet away fill in the cold night's silence.

 

Bucky is now beyond confused. "Your best friend is Sharon though... Wait  _w_ _hat_? Isn't she with Rumlow or some shit?" He sneers.

Natasha's eyebrows draw together. "What?"

"What heck are you trying to say? How can Steve possibly break her heart? She's never been interested." He glowers, getting frustrated.

The redhead raises an eyebrow. "Oh she is very interested. So much so she got her heart broken by his insolence."

" _What_?" Bucky scowls. 

"Sharon is in love with Steve, _Barnes_." She spits his name with disgust, very irritated.

He widens his eyes. "Are you fucking with me? _Steve_ is in love with _Sharon_."

She frowns in confusion. "What?"

"That skank. Lorraine? She was throwing herself at him but he rejected her. Is that what your friend saw? After school? At the parking lot?" His eyes glint with curiosity and sudden interest as he starts to lean closer through his window.

Natasha looks uncertain. "Ah, yes." She blinks. "That's what she said..."

Bucky starts to form a grin of realization. "Looks like both our best friends are in love with each other but just don't know it yet."


	4. Chapter 4

Natasha inhales the smell of breakfast as she descends down the stairs of her home. Her father tilts his head towards her direction & smiles when she grabs a single bacon from the plate and starts chewing.  
  
"I'm walking to school today." She announces, after swallowing the whole bacon.  
  
He pauses, watching her with a scrutinizing gaze. She smirks.  
  
"What's going on, rose?" He narrows his eyes at her.  
  
She shrugs. "I just feel like walking today you know. It is good exercise."  
  
He looks at her with bewilderment.  
  
She rolls her eyes. "God, dad. Walking to school is a completely normal thing. Everyone does it nowadays."  
  
He looks at her ridiculously. "Since when do you care what other kids do?"  
  
"What are you saying? I don't." She scoffs.  
  
  
He stares at her longer, before furrowing his eyebrows as he speaks, "You were talking to a boy last night. I heard voices."  
  
  
Natasha sarcastically smiles. "Hearing voices...hmm. You must've been really tired. Did you forget to take your pills?"  
  
He glares at her. "Natasha-"  
  
  
“Goodbye now!" She exclaims unnecessarily, slamming the front door a little too harshly once she escapes him.  
  
She walks down the porch glancing at the house neighbouring hers.  
  
  
  
  
She crosses her arms over her chest now standing on the sidewalk, tapping her foot impatiently as she stares at the neighbour's closed front door, waiting for a certain someone to pop out.  
  
  
  
  
Their conversation is not done. They must finish it. Natasha has a few questions.  
  
  
She kicks at a rock and sighs out of boredom. She starts pacing back and forth, her patience running thin. She stops and huffs, pushing the curls from her face back.  
  
Then when she hears a door snap open, she spins around and looks expectantly at Bucky Barnes who spares her a steely gaze. He walks down his porch with his eyes glued to her. For some reason that makes her nervous. He has a slight intimidation to him, it's getting to her.  
  
He walks over to her with his hands shoved in his pockets and raises an eyebrow. "Been waiting out here for me?"  
  
She shrugs. "We have to talk."  
  
He narrows his eyes at her. "How cute of you to be waiting a lifetime for me. Really. I'm flattered you had to decline your ride for me."  
  
She spares him an eyeroll. Instead she blankly stares at him with an unimpressed lifted brow. "So we're going to talk about Steve or not?" She asks with dispassion, making him chuckle.  
  
He grins at her. "Alright, but let's move it shall we?"  
  
"Hm." She dryly prompts, walking beside him with enough distant between them. "So for how long?"  
  
He looks down the ground with furrowed eyebrows. "How long what?"  
  
"How long has your friend been drooling over mine?"  
  
"Since kindergarten." His frown deepens.  
  
She snorts humorously.  
  
He lifts his head up to look at her with raised eyebrows.  
  
"Wow. Your friend really has got some big balls there." She remarks, refraining herself from laughing at her own tasteless joke.  
  
Bucky smirks. "He's not really your aggressively expressive guy, you know."  
  
"A guy like that shy?" She grins. "How cute."  
  
"And your friend? How long has she been crushing over my pal?"  
  
She shrugs. "Since...eighth grade?"  
  
"You sound unsure." He frowns.  
  
She frowns back. "I don't know. It's when she started yapping about him to me that we were in eighth grade. But who knows, maybe she's had it going for him since kindergarten." She shrugs.  
  
"You know, I don't understand. Why don't they realize this? Do you have any idea how much I have to take of Steve's moaning?"  
  
"I compare Sharon's whining to needles pricking through my eyeballs." She says jokingly.  
  
He laughs. "So torturous."  
  
She chuckles back for a moment.

"We should do something about it. Though Sharon is still pissed at your friend. You know, with Lorraine and all." Natasha huffs. "Sharon says she's over him now."  
  
Bucky shrugs. "Then tell her the truth."  
  
She rolls her eyes. "Oh how easy that would be." She says sarcastically. "She's thick-headed, and I do not mean that in a good way. I say something, it goes over her head. It'll only be a matter of time until she-"  
  
Bucky's eyes widen when he sees a truck about to collide with the small redhead as she attempts to cross the road. He grabs her by her hand & spins her to him, now in the safety of his arms. The truck driver hoots at her as he drives past and yells at her to watch it.  
  
Their chests have clashed and she stares up at Bucky with shocked big eyes. His hands loosely on her waist.  
  
"Are you alright?" He lowers his head to her.  
  
She steps back and huffs. "Yeah." The speed of her heart racing reduces as she exhales softly. "Thanks."  
  
"You better watch it, kid." He grins, repeating the truck driver's words.  
  
She rolls her eyes and groans, crossing the now vacated road without him.  
  
He chuckles at her coldness and follows after her.  
  
"So. Brock Rumlow and Sharon really aren't a thing?" He asks lightly, stepping into her pace.  
  
Her expression is that of disgust. "No!" She answers him like it's the most dumbest, senseless question she's ever heard. And it is. "That tapeworm is nothing but a perverted, disgusting, disease-causing creep!"  
  
Bucky chuckles. "Okay, okay. Got it."  
  
Natasha coldly stares at him because he's taking that too lightly. But his grin doesn't drop. He's probably the only guy she knows to not waver under her icy stare.  
  
  
"So. What are we going to do?" He finally asks.  
  
"Bring them together. And finally they'll shut up and I won't ever have to go through a romance movie marathon ever again." She grumbles.  
  
He nods. "But how do we pull this off?"  
  
  
  
Natasha bites the inside of her cheek, before the idea pops in her head and she halts. "A love letter!"  
  
Bucky sneers. "What?"  
  
"Yes." She nods as he turns to her and moves closer to topple over her. She slightly has to crane her neck up to look up at him. "Sharon will not hear me out if I were at your friend's defence. That will just piss her way more."  
  
"So?" He raises an eyebrow.  
  
"And your friend clearly lacks the balls." She remarks coldly, ignoring the glare he sends her at that. "So I guess we're going to have to do it for him. Sharon will read it, think it's him. She'll approach him and...things will go on from there."  
  
Bucky stares down at her ridiculously. "That is no where near a good idea."  
  
"What? Do you have something?" She scoffs when he stays silent. "Thought so." She says coldly. Bucky rolls his eyes.  
  
"Does she know his handwriting?"  
  
Natasha snorts. "Please. Come on. Sharon isn't really in love with him. She doesn't even know where he lives."  
  
Bucky blankly stares at her. "You're lying to me right now aren't you?"  
  
"Yeah she does know his handwriting." She exhales in defeat.  
  
He clenches his jaw.  
  
"So I guess you're going to have to write that letter. Forge his writing and all." She pats his shoulder, before she proceeds walking. "Come on. We're going to be late for school."

________________________

 

Steve feels his cheeks heating as he digs through his locker, grabbing out a few books & textbooks. He briefly looks back at Sharon Carter who is busy with her own locker not far away from him.  
  
Today she is wearing a creamy white buttoned shirt with black jeans and white pumps. As plain as she looks in other people's eyes, she is ought to be the most prettiest sight to behold. She is beautiful to him.  
  
  
  
  
When she snaps her eyes to him, he looks away quickly and pretends to be fixing his blonde hair. His heart having jumped in his throat.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sharon coolly stares at him with sharp angry eyes, slamming her locker closed a little too harsh while her cold glare is set on him. She turns on her heel and storms away, not wanting to be in the same location as him anymore.

______________________

 

  
After passing four dragging lessons, Natasha searches for Bucky during recess. She tells her friends she'll be with them in a bit.  
  
She sees a group of boys considered as the 'popular ones' descend down the school hallway with a walk that screams of arrogance & importance. Natasha tries not to roll her eyes when she sees Bucky there.  
  
When their eyes lock, he says something to his friends before departing from them to walk over to her. Every second he comes closer, the more she feels herself shrinking. He is not only intimidating in all ways, but his height and figure are able to hide her whole body.  
  
She outstreches her empty palm at him and raises an eyebrow. "Love letter. Where's it?"  
  
He sighs tiredly and fishes for it from his bag before handing it over to her.  
  
She scrunches her nose. "Why is it so wrinkled?"  
  
"Hey. It's a love letter alright? Doesn't matter the condition." He snaps.  
  
"Alright, sourpatch." She smirks. "Let's see." She unfolds it and squints her eyes slightly. "This is Steve's handwriting?"  
  
"Close enough." He says.  
  
She glares up at him. "I didn't want it close enough. I wanted it on point." She snaps.  
  
He scowls at her. "Well excuse me for trying. As if you could've done any better."  
  
She narrows her eyes coldly at him. "Oh I would've." She snips, before averting her gaze from him to the letter. "This is cheesy."  
  
Bucky groans, rolling his eyes.  
  
"Sharon will like it." She grins.  
  
He frowns. "Seriously?"  
  
She shrugs. "You can go now." She shooes him away with her hands. "Mister Popularity." She remarks.  
  
He stares at her for a really long time. "I've never met a girl like you before." He says with a weird expression that she cannot place.  
  
She raises an eyebrow. "Of course not. I'm unique. One and only." She lifts her chin up arrogantly.  
  
He gives her a hesitant smile with narrowed eyes. "I hope this works out."  
  
  
"Yeah." She replies dryly, watching him go. She looks back down at the love letter. "It better work out."

 

________________________

 

Biology is where Natasha and Sharon share the same class. Where Natasha sits directly behind her and has a chance to slip the love letter in her book cover sleeve or into her bag. But the girl's bag is between her feet, so that's not going to work out now is it.  
  
  
  
  
Oh.  
  
And Biology is where Sharon sits next to Lorraine.  
  
Of course.  
  
  
Natasha wonders how her friend must be feeling now. She wonders if she's suppressing the urge of pulling Lorraine's perfect silky blonde hair out or gauging those hypnotic blue eyes out. Natasha would love to see that go down.  
  
  
  
An opportunity opens when Sharon asks Mr Bothman to go use the lavatory. Natasha sees this as a chance to do something with the letter. But Lorraine may be in the way.  
  
Natasha thinks, biting the inside of her cheek as she watches Sharon retreat from the classroom. A simple idea lights up in her head.  
  
She drops her pencil on the floor purposely, seeing it roll to the other side next to Lorraine. Ignoring whatever Mr Bothman is explaining, she taps the blonde on the shoulder and politely asks her to pick up her pencil.  
  
Lorraine, the bitch, grumbles something incoherent, rolling her eyes dramatically. She groans and crouches over to retrieve the redhead's pencil.  
  
Natasha uses the distraction to quickly attempt to place the letter into Sharon's book cover sleeve but her movements only get halfway done because Lorraine turns to her a little too soon, making the redhead drop the letter to the floor from Sharon's table.  
  
"Here." Lorraine says with slight distaste. Natasha fakes a smile but angrily grabs her pencil back, earning a death glare from the blonde.  
  
Lorraine follows Natasha's line of sight to the floor and sees a slightly wrinkled letter.  
  
Natasha's cheeks turn red.  
  
  
Shit.  
  
  
  
"Listen, Lorrai-" Natasha watches as Sharon walk back into the class while Lorraine here unfolds the love letter and starts reading it.  
  
Natasha buries her face into her hands in defeat when she failed trying to snatch the letter back from the bitch's skinny fingers. Lorraine clearly thinks that the letter is meant for her. And when she finishes reading the last words,   _LOVE, STEVE_ , she has her hand on her heart and her eyes glisten with light tears.  
  
Sharon looks at Natasha with a small smile when she takes her seat again Natasha can't help but smile back, while she's internally apologizing to her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I felt like this chapter kinda sucked but what do you all think?


	5. Chapter 5

Whatever Sharon is droning on about, it goes over her best friend's head.  
  
Natasha is leaning against her closed locker waiting for her to finish up. She is too busy sulking to think to listen to her. She stares at the ground with a depressed look on her face and the guilt slowly chews at her.  
  
She is such a horrible friend isn't she?  
  
It doesn't pass Sharon that Natasha is quiet and clearly distracted. That's why she stops to look at her. "Nat, are you alright?" The far-away look on the redhead's face is enough to make her concerned. "...Nat?"  
  
  
Natasha doesn't lift her head up because of Sharon's call out. What catches her eye is Steve Rogers, who's not so far away, snapping his locker open. And it's only a matter of time until Lorraine pops out from somewhere and Sharon would witness whatever is about to go down.  
  
Worst case scenario is Lorraine squealing, jumping into Steve's arms to forcefully kiss him.  
  
That would be enough to make Sharon explode, and Natasha is getting tired of hearing her rants.  
  
  
Sharon frowns and turns her head to look at whatever Natasha's looking at, before she scowls at her for making her look at him. "I don't like him anymore."  
  
"How very dishonest of you." Natasha dryly comments.  
  
  
  
Sharon loudly slams her locker close just as Lorraine is walking down the hallway towards their direction. Natasha's heart starts picking up it's speed. "Shit." She mumbles, then watches Sharon fiddle with her lock in impatience. "Can you move a little faster?" She snaps at her, making her glare back at her.  
  
And then she fucking stops to cross her arms over her chest. "What is your problem today, Natasha?"  
  
Natasha glares at her. "We need to go."  
  
"Why?" Sharon raises her voice, and in the background Steve glances at her.  
  
"Because!"  
  
"Because what?" The blonde shakes her head. "What is the matter with you? Are you okay, Natasha?" She steps closer to her.  
  
  
  
  
Natasha's cheeks turn red as she holds her breath when Lorraine approaches Steve. She watches them over Sharon's shoulder and Sharon notices the glances.  
  
"Why are you looking at him?" She asks with annoyance, and tries to turn her head but Natasha grabs her chin so she'd keep her from looking at what might be a distaster. But Sharon is having none of it. "Stop it! Gosh, just what the hell are you up to now-..." Her sentence trails off when her eyes have landed on Lorraine... kissing Steve, _again_.  
  
Sharon's eyes flutter close in annoyance and she turns back to Natasha. "Right. Now I see why we had to go."  
  
"Sharon, I'm so sorry-"  
  
The blonde has stormed off too early to hear the apology. 

  
Natasha sighs in defeat and watches Steve grab Lorraine's shoulders to pull her away from him. She looks confused as he tells her that he's not interested.  
  
" _The letter_!" Lorraine says.  
  
Natasha pinches the bridge of her nose when she sees Bucky freeze in his tracks when he overhears that. Then his eyes find hers. She looks away and nonchalantly closes Sharon's lock properly as she feels him marching towards her. And then he grabs her arm.  
  
"What happened? Why was I seeing Lorraine in Steve's arms instead of Sharon?" He asks with a low, raspy voice.  
  
She refuses to look at him as she wriggles her arm from his grip. She shrugs. "Something went wrong." She answers casually.  
  
"Excuse me?" He scowls.  
  
"Lorraine thinks the letter is meant for her." She shrugs again.  
  
Bucky's scowl deepens. "How the _hell_ does that happen?"  
  
She looks at his chest and not at his face. "Nicely."  
  
"Oh right. It happens nicely. And smoothly I'd presume." He snaps.  
  
She rolls her eyes. "I know. I messed up."  
  
"You damn well did." He softly growls, before he scoffs. "An idiot move."

She turns her eyes to him sharply. "I _know_."  
  
"You're klutz, red." He remarks.  
  
The name is immediately an irritation to her. "It's Natasha." She won't be surprised if he has already forgotten her name.  
  
"I know your name. You've been living near me long enough for me to notice you. And by some chance, you never noticed me back." He looks so annoyed by her.  
  
"What, because you're so popular?" She scoffs. "I should notice you because you're so damn special aren't you?" She snips.  
  
"What is your issue?" He scowls. "You couldn't even get one thing right. All you had to do was give her the letter!"  
  
"I couldn't give her the letter, because then she'd be suspicious. She knows me. She'll know I have something to do with it. I have no relations with your best friend whatsover, so she wouldn't buy that he'd just pass me the letter. All the guys at this school are frightened of me, believe it or not."  
  
"Well count me out of that equation." He snaps.

"You got any ideas, Mr Popularity?" She raises a sharp eyebrow.

"It's Bucky." He corrects with a straight face. "And I'm not popular."

"Really? Is that so? Is that why almost the whole school knows your stupid name?" She speaks in monotone. "I mean, from what I've heard. I never knew of your existence till a day ago."

"My name, is not stupid." He replies back in monotone. "And thank you for finally noticing me."

"Bucky is a horrible name." She says plainly.

"Is that why you're calling me Mr Popularity?" He raises an eyebrow.

She shrugs. "Could be. Or because you really are popular."

He looks at her with a serious face. "What are we going to do now?"

"With what? The whole letter mess?"

"The mess that  _you_ caused." He snaps.

"Last time I checked, you were a part of this too." She says sharply.

He huffs angrily. Before the two fell to silently glowering at each other intensely. 

 

  
"Bucky?" Steve calls, making the two break their glaring contest to turn to him. Steve immediately stops when he looks at Natasha.  
  
She tries not to smirk at his reddened lips and mussed up hair no thanks to Lorraine's affection.  
  
"Hi, Natasha." Steve lightly frowns at her, before turning to Bucky in question.  
  
  
"She's my... new..." Bucky stutters.  
  
"Friend." Natasha finishes off with a bold smile. "And now I take it it's my cue to leave." She turns on her heels and leaves, feeling Bucky's glare boring holes at her back.

 

He turns his head back to Steve.

  
"Bucky, what the hell is going on?" Steve demands, and he pretends to be confused.  
  
"What? With what? And why was Lorraine kissing you?"  
  
"That is what I'm asking you." Steve narrows his eyes at him. "Apparently, she'd gotten a love letter from me."  
  
Bucky acts surprised. "You wrote a love letter to Lorraine?" He acts a bit disgusted. "Why would you do that? You're only encouraging her to-"  
  
"No, no, no, Buck. I didn't write it." Steve's voice drops lower as he leans closer. "Someone wrote to her, _as me._ I do not remember writing anything. Bucky, you know me. I can't express myself fully with words, that's why I draw, I'm not capable of- of a love letter! This is absurd."  
  
Bucky frowns. "So, who do you think did it?"  
  
"I don't know. That's what I'm trying to find out."  
  
"What did Lorraine say?"  
  
"She says I'm too shy to admit I was the writer of that letter. She won't listen. She is completely delusional and mad."  
  
Bucky huffs as Steve continues. "I am going to find out who did this, and you're going to help me, Buck."


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wasn't actually expecting this book to have some attention, so i thank you all for taking some of your precious lifespan to give this book a chance. and i always love to read the comments so thank you so much

Darcy is giving her that sharp look, like she knows she somehow messed up.

 It's after school and Natasha cannot find Sharon anywhere. 

The redhead pretends to scratch the side of her head to avoid Darcy's scrutinize, but the brunette notices and jumps in front of her to halt her tracks. 

Natasha pretends to look over Darcy's shoulder to check if her dad's car is there waiting. 

"Look at me, Nat." Darcy snaps. 

Natasha arches an eyebrow, staring at her friend nonchalantly. "What is it? There's nothing on your face."

Darcy narrows her eyes. "Where's Shar?"

Natasha blinks. "Why should I know?"

"Uhh because you're her best friend? Like if anyone should know which toilet stall Sharon would be taking a dump in, it's you."

"Oh so she's in the lavatory? You want me to go-"

"Oh my god, don't act dumb! I have a feeling you did something. The way you're acting, missy." Darcy steps closer and looks at Natasha like she is the suspect of a run-over puppy. "Now you talk."

"Or else?" Natasha arches a sharp brow in challenge.

"Or else..." Darcy taps her foot for a second, thinking of a way to blackmail her.

Natasha sighs. "Listen, Darc, I got it all under control. Alright? I know what I'm doing." Natasha speaks serenely, shrugging with graceful nonchalance. She slyly smirks. "You just have to trust me." She raises her chin up as she walks past Darcy.

"But!" Darcy stomps her foot down petulantly. 

 

Natasha thought she got away from her when she suddenly feels her grabbing her arm to stop her again. Natasha rolls her eyes. "Darcy, like I said-" She turns around only for her mouth to snap shut when she meets blue eyes. She sighs and purses her lips. "Will you ever stop grabbing me by the arm?" She snips, twisting her arm away from his stern grip. He looks beyond annoyed. "Well?" She snaps when he stares at her like she is a bug. "Stop looking at me like I pissed in your cereal."

"Oh I'm sorry. I'm sorry that you messed things up and now my best friend's going to be mad at me once he finds out what..." He trails off to take a breath. Clearly the guy is in distress, all because of her. She feels quite guilty but she shrugs it off.

"I have a plan."

"Better than the letter?" Bucky snaps. "That was a cheap move." He glowers down at her.

She doesn't bother even looking back up at him. She stares into space with a cunning smile on her face as she twists a red curl around her finger. "It's going to be like hitting two birds with one stone. We're going to make Lorraine look crazy in front of Steve. That letter?" Natasha bites her bottom lip like she's imaging a delicious honey dish. "You make your friend think it was her that wrote the letter to herself." Natasha snorts. "I mean. She's already throwing herself at him when clearly he isn't interested. Finding out that she might be possibly obsessed and psycho won't be much of a surprise coming from such behaviour." She smirks, finally gluing her eyes on him. He can see a glint of mischief in her jade eyes. "Sharon will be there to witness the confrontation. And when that happens, she'll see how wrong she was about him and she won't say no to him when he asks her out. I mean the only way he's going to ask her out is if you push him to it because apparently your friend lacks some balls." She ignores his scowl and sighs to herself. "Am I a genius or what?"

 "Close enough. Except you lack some empathy don't you think? That's a little bit fucked up."

She flinches. "She deserves everything coming to her, _Bucky_." She scoffs. "Do you want your friend to be pissed at you? I know I don't want Sharon pissed at _me_." She shakes her head at him. "Lorraine is not only a whore, but she's a bully too."

Bucky laughs dryly, very unimpressed. "A bully huh?"

Natasha frowns. "Yes."

"You want to put the blame on someone who isn't responsible for what _we_ did?" He looks at her like she should be ashamed. "Are you any better than the bully?"

Natasha wants to palm slap her face right now. Really? This self-righteous bullshit right now? "You know what, I'll do this myself." She says icily.

"How?" He glares back. "I'm the only one who can feed lies to Steve, which I'm not going to."

"I always find another way, Bucky." She scowls. 

"Yeah well, good luck with that." He snaps, before he retreats to his group of friends. Natasha watches after him, fuming. She is so not going to feel guilty about that plan. Lorraine has been a bitch to Sharon and Natasha has repeatedly said that the blond bimbo is going to pay since ninth grade. Well now's the chance. 

 

______________________________________

 

"Bucky, are you alright?" Steve asks, clapping his hand onto his shoulder and squeezes gently.

Bucky doesn't stop pinching the bridge of his nose with his eyes closed. "Fine." He rasps.

"Here, man." Gabe offers the bottle of booze he probably snuck from his father's alcohol stash.

Bucky drops his hand and opens his eyes, then he shakes his head at the bottle of booze.

"Steve, we need to talk about -"  Connie, his on-and-off girl, sits on his lap and immediately smacks her lips against his. But Bucky pulls his head back and frowns in annoyance. Wasn't she the one who said they were taking a break?

"I missed you." She says, weaving her fingers through his thick hair. She leans in to kiss him again but he jerks his head back for the second time.

"Connie, listen, I'm not in the mood right now." He says firmly, brushing her off of his lap but her arms still stay curled around his neck and she pulls him in for a kiss again. He barely protests and everyone thinks that they're getting back together again as they watch.

 

"What is she doing here, anyway?" Steve looks behind the trees to see another car parked a distant away with a group of girls hanging around. "Thought this was our spot."

"Bucky just can't keep his mouth shut can he?" Sam rolls his eyes. "And this is _my_ spot. I found it first."

Gabe drinks a long gulp from his bottle and swallows thickly watching Connie & Bucky making out. "Give it a week and everything will be back to normal." He says earning a laugh from Steve.

"Guys won't you just look at the lake and enjoy it for a moment?" Sam says leaning against the car. "I wish I was a mermaid."

"You mean mer _man_." Gabe says between gulps. "And why the hell do you want to be a fish?"

"Don't I have rights to be whoever I want to be? And no, I did mean mermaid." Sam raises both eyebrows. "Nowhere is there such a thing as a merman. The only sex that a half-fish & half-human could be is a female. Steve, am I right?"

Steve chuckles. "Today I had an awful day, guys."

"Oh poor you." Gabe says.

"Mommy forgot to make your bottle of milk?" Sam teases with a baby voice.

"So spare me the weird topics today." Steve continues, ignoring their remarks, looking at the lake and trees beyond as he sits on the hood of his car.

Gabe rolls his eyes, before looking at Sam. "Why we talking about mermaids we don't even live at the coast."

 

 

Bucky is getting frustrated trying to not push Connie away without coming off as an ass. He disconnects his lips from hers and spreads her away from his body, then slowly speaks to get it through her head. "Connie. I am not in the mood. I'm not interested. Will you give me some space? Will you do that?" He tries to ignore the disappointed sad look on her face and sighs. 

She huffs. And shoves him roughly at his chest. "You could've just said so. Asshole!" She storms away before he can even speak. Behind him, Sam and Gabe are laughing breathlessly. He groans and turns around to them.

"I was wrong. It only took five minutes!" Gabe says between laughs.

"Having bad luck with the girls, Barney?" Sam teases.

Steve chuckles rolling his eyes, then he looks at Bucky with a raised eyebrow. "You said you wanted to talk before Connie interrupted?"

Bucky ignores the other idiotic friends and takes a breath in. "Yeah, it's about the letter." He joins Steve on the car's hood.

"I have an idea who it was." Steve narrows his eyes at the lake ahead.

"About that-"

"It was Lorraine."

Bucky's mouth falls for a moment, his frown deepening. "What?" He sneers. "How?" He starts thinking of Natasha. Has she already pulled the strings on his friend?

"Well. It didn't take long to connect the dots. I just kept thinking and thinking about it on our way here... She just can't take no for answer, Bucky. I feel like she'd go through the length to writing a love letter from 'me' to herself. I mean, one time I caught her reading my journal." He rubs his temples. "My journal book, Buck! I can't believe my mom let her in the house. I found her in my bedroom reading my journal. She said she was looking for me that time but she had no right to read that." He scowls. "And you know what's so strange? A few days from now, my journal has gone missing. She forged my handwriting from my journal to that letter. Bucky, Lorraine is crazy!"


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait,,,,

Her mind is already weaving a plan as she sits on her bed with her laptop on her lap, typing away on the keyboard with speed. She chews on her bottom lip as her eyes dart around the fast coding on the screen, the number of results increasing in nanoseconds. She taps her finger as she waits with anticipation, before her cellphone next to her buzzes. 

She curses and answers the call without taking her eyes off of her laptop screen, not seeing that the caller is Sharon.

The page buffers as the results load and she snips at her phone. "What?"

" _Jee, hi to you too, Nat._ " Natasha can hear Sharon's eyeroll through the phone.

"Oh, hel-"

The redhead's eyes widen when the webpage opens and she gasps at the many slutty nudes of Lorraine displayed on her screen. "Holy shit!" She swears out loudly.

" _What are you doing?_ " Sharon asks carefully. 

Natasha snaps her mouth close and decides against telling Sharon about her suspicions being proven right. "N-nothing." Her eyes flutter close when she stutters, which is a dead giveaway that something is wrong.

" _Natasha, can we go out? I'll pick you up._ " Sharon asks, not even bothering to interrogate her best friend. She sounds tired and annoyed, wanting to just distract herself.

"Yeah yeah." Natasha says distracted. Her eyebrows point towards her hairline as she scrolls further down through the explicit images. Her jaw drops as the nudes get more juicer, then next she stumbles upon a dick halfway to Lorraine's mouth. 

Natasha cannot believe this.

She shakes her head with a smile forming on her face. 

" _Natasha, are you listening to me?_ "

Was Sharon just talking?

"Yeah yeah yeah, you'll fetch me. Bye bye." She hangs up before Sharon can snap. She tosses her phone aside and carries on in the porn site.

Who knew that the hottest girl in town actually turns out to be a young pornstar?

Natasha wonders how the school would react to that. 

It would certainly ruin her reputation. Her friends would probably drop her to save their own image. Honestly, the rest of Lorraine's high school life will be a shameful, pathetic misery.

Natasha can leak this to the entire school, especially to the teachers who always seemed to favour the bitch.

Natasha smirks. "Once you're offered an extraordinary opportunity, you take it like a boss." She says wickedly to herself. 

Her hands hover over the keyboard but she stops, not seeming to move.

 _Wait, what am I doing_?

 **Revenge** , she snaps at her other inner voice. 

 _Revenge huh? What she do to you_?

 **She didn't have to do anything**.

_Then it isn't revenge, now is it?_

**Oh fuck off. This is justice**. 

_Justice in what way? No crime was committed. You want justice? Call the police._

 

 

Natasha smirks.

 

She _can_ call the police and report this.

Lorraine is underage, after all, so this is considered child porn. Right?

_Always have an ulterior motive, huh? I really haven't changed, my god. I'm going back to my old ways. I think I'm doing this for Sharon?_

**I owe her.**

_Then owe her the right way. Not this._

**Lorraine is a monster.**

_Ha. Then what are you? Then what am **I**?_

 

"Oh fuck you too, inner voice." She snaps out loud, slamming her laptop shut and slips her feet back into her combat boots as she stands. She kneels down fastening the boots' ties before standing back up and wears her black denim jacket. She'll finish her homework when she comes back.

She can't help the ache in her chest, her head filled with images of her past deeds. 

It's still a miracle that Sharon, Jane & Darcy still stand by her as her friends after everything.

 

She sighs and leaves her bedroom, descending downstairs to see her father sitting on the sofa watching a sports match. He has beer in his hand and takes a couple of gulps before he notices her. "Going somewhere?" 

She plops on the couch next to him and drops her head on his shoulder. "Am I evil?"

He pulls back to look at her with a frowning face. "What sort of question is that?" He stares at her.

"Is it a Russian thing? A trait maybe?" She looks at him with puppy eyes.

He raises an eyebrow. "Being Russian has nothing to do with anything. But you're not evil."

"Are you being biased?" She lifts an eyebrow. 

"You're my daughter. Of course I'm being biased." He says flatly.

"Fine. Am I a sociopath? A psychopath?"

He gives her a blank reaction. "Are you capable of feeling guilt?"

"I feel bad now."

"Then it's not likely."

"Oh." She slouches further in the couch.

He leans back too and watches the football match. 

She releases a sigh. "I am going out. Don't know when I'll be back."

"As long as it's before midnight." He drinks from his beer bottle. 

She smiles and when the front door knocks, she gives her dad a kiss on the cheek. "Alright. I'm gone."

She stands.

"Stay warm, rose." She hears him say and knows how hard it is for him to let her go on her own every time, especially after what happened to mom.

"Love you." She says and retreats.

 

 

 

Sharon forces a light smile when the door opens. But a frown etches on her face when she sees Natasha and senses something wrong. "Hey." She says softly.

Natasha smiles back and pushes back a red curl from her face. "Hello." She closes her front door and they start walking to Sharon's red corolla car. "So where are we going?"

"To this nice grill place. You'll love the ribs there."

Natasha snorts. "Is there milkshake?"

" _Hello?!_ Ribs!"

"Meat is overrated." Natasha waves her hand at her. "So? Is there milkshake or not?"

"Oh there is." 

They climb into the car and Sharon starts driving. 

Natasha turns on the radio and rolls her eyes at the country music playing. She goes to Sharon's music playlist and wrinkles her nose in disgust.

There's Boyz to Men, The Beach Boys, Backstreet Boys, and every other _boy_ band.

Natasha doesn't even bother to play anything. 

She's forgotten about Sharon's sappy & cheesy taste in music that she completely disagrees with. She remembers teasing her about it and going on to ask if she thought of Steve whenever she listened to the songs. Natasha is such a little shit sometimes, but she's loved.

"Do you have A Perfect Circle here? Maybe some _Marilyn Manson_?" Natasha smirks, waiting for the reaction she knows will come from the pretty blonde on the wheel.

"Oh my god, Nat! That guy's music is disgusting and meaningless! Don't even start with that pale demon!"

Natasha releases an unladylike snort which turns into contagious giggles that affect her best friend immediately. "Well," Natasha says between sniggers, "at least you're not into church music..."

The giggling dies out.

 

A pause.

 

A long silent pause. And Sharon's face is serious and pale.

 

"Oh my god, are you?" Natasha asks worriedly.

Sharon wheezes and bursts into laughter. "I totally got you there."

Natasha rolls her eyes. 

"I can't believe you'd think even for a second that I'm into _church_ music."

 "Would've dropped you if that was the case. Consider yourself lucky." Natasha says arrogantly. 

Sharon scoffs. "Bitch."

"Slut." Natasha smirks.

 

______________

They soon arrive at the grill restaurant that fills their noses with the smell of barbeque and rich sweet wood. The place is glistened with golden bulbs around and only a small amount of people fill the restaurant, much to Natasha's relief. She hates crowds.

Sharon looks around, her arm possessively hooked around Natasha's, and her heart jumps in her throat when she sees someone she's been trying to erase from her mind for the past few hours. Natasha is blabbering on about taking a seat at one of the booths while Sharon's gaze is straight ahead pointing at the front counter table that is occupied by a huge group of friends, the _popular_ group. And Steve is there.

 

Natasha notices that Sharon's face has turned pale and she leans in. "Are you okay, Shar?" Not getting an answer, she eventually follows her line of gaze before her eyebrows raise dramatically. " _Ooh_." She cooes, "Yeah, we should probably go." The redhead turns to leave but Sharon immediately stops her.

" _No_." The blonde says firmly, turning her best friend back around. "I'm not going to not explore other places just because he's there. I go where I want. I don't care about him." She spits, glaring Steve's back. "We're staying." She drags Natasha to a booth, not realizing Steve throwing a surprised glance at them when they pass.

 

They sit and Natasha slouches in her seat, arms tightly crossed over her chest.

"Sit up straight." Sharon snips.

"Fuck you."

Sharon sighs and claws her hands through her silky long blonde hair.

"You know you're only torturing yourself." 

"Shut up." Sharon snaps.

"You say you don't care about him, huh? He doesn't effect you any more?" 

Sharon glares at her. "Of course not."

"What if I called him here? You still wouldn't give a shit? I mean, we can totally leave right now. If you just say the word." 

"Call him then." Sharon scowls, shrugging. "I don't care, Nat. Honestly."

Natasha smiles. "You're doing a very bad job at pretending to not give a shit." 

Sharon just rolls her eyes.

"Well. I need to take a piss." Natasha stands and watches Sharon's face blanch at the thought of being left alone with Steve throwing glances at her. She knows Nat is doing it in purpose, but could she at least have some mercy? Sharon's nerves are high and she feels her cheeks turn red as she watches Nat turn around to leave.

When Natasha walks passed Steve's group of friends, Sharon sees something so subtle and unnoticeable that she thanked god that she didn't blink. 

She sees Natasha send a light touch to one of Steve's friends as she walks passed, in anyone's eyes it wouldn't be at all suspicious. Just an unintentional touch.

Sharon's eyes narrow in suspicon when Nat walks down the narrow hallway to the lavatory and she turns her head to give the guy she lightly touched a short secret glance so that he follows her.

Sharon studies the boy with a frown, knowing that he's called Bucky Barnes, and is Steve's best friend.

Well shit. 

Why would Natasha hide such a thing from her?

 

Soon after Bucky excuses himself from his group of friends and retreats down the narrow hallway to go find Natasha.

 

Sharon ignores another glance from Steve and she smiles resting her chin on her palm.

Natasha Romanov, the girl who always avoided the boyfriend topic and such is really having an affair behind closed doors.

Bucky is considered one of the most hottest guy at school, he's quite handsome - Sharon won't lie.

And well, Natasha has always been low-key gorgeous but she doesn't give a shit.

 

Wow. 

What an unexpected _great_ couple, Sharon thinks. 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Natasha's arms are crossed as she's leaning against the wall next to the doors of the ladies' bathroom. Some women walk in and out, not seeming to mind the redhead who's casually standing on the side. 

She doesn't bother to straighten when Bucky approaches her, she simply arches her eyebrow. "Well well well. If it isn't Mr Self-Righteous of empathy and morals and what not. Still think Lorraine shouldn't be put in her place?" Natasha's voice drips with sarcasm and she mockingly cocks her head at him, like a bird, her green eyes glistening with some mischief like she wants to play.

"I couldn't give two shits about her." He growls. "But I'm not one to set-up someone. I know how that feels like, Natasha." He gives her a heated glare, his voice heavy. For a moment she feels intimidated, and she's pressed into the wall. She sharpens her gaze on him when he steps closer. "But I guess you weren't needed to make Steve think that Lorraine wrote that letter."

She frowns. "What do you mean?" She asks with a soft voice.

Bucky dryly chuckles, briefly shaking his head. "I have to give it to him, guy is totally one for conspiracy theories. He'll piece things together and immediately jump to conclusions. Sometimes it's smart, and sometimes he comes off overly paranoid and distrusting. He came up with the idea that Lorraine wrote the letter all on his own, before you even got to him."

Natasha stares at him. He's looking at her with a bit of contempt, but it doesn't affect her because she's used to looks like that. She clears her throat and averts her eyes from him once she's had enough of the heated staring between them. She tries to breathe through this thick tension. "Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about this stupid thing." She speaks gently and slowly. "This stupid plan of ours." She stares at the floor and bites her bottom lip. "Yeah, I think we should just close it." She shrugs. "If they wanted to be together they would've by now, you know. So why bother? Complete waste of our time, you know." She shrugs again, avoiding his eyes.

"Really? Gonna quit just like that? After one fucking dumb shot?" 

She shoots him a death stare. "Don't bitch now when not long ago you were quite unenthusiastic about all of this."

"You mean the letter."

"Get over it already! We are done." She snaps.

"Get over it _?_ " He hisses, leaning his head closer. "How so when it's all Steve can think about it?"

"Maybe you should tell him the truth." She suggests with a cold tone, returning his hostility.

"Maybe we should tell both of them the truth so that they can be together if they want."

"You know what, maybe we shouldn't tell them anything," she leans off the wall and picks her words carefully to irate him, "I don't think Steve is right for her if he hangs around _you_." She walks closer to him, until their chests are a hair's breadth away and Natasha is looking up at him with Bucky looking down at her. "I wouldn't go for someone like you, not in a million years. I think Sharon would say the same for herself."

He leans his head closer to hers until she feels his breath on her face. "Well keep it that way, cherry, cause I don't think you or your friends can handle me." He says, his gaze dark and words almost chilling.

She hardens her face into stone and walks past him to retreat. She mumbles, "Jackass," and hopes he heard that.

She feels her face hot and she swears she is going to kick herself if her face is pink.

 

Natasha forces a smile on her face when she walks back to Sharon at their booth. She takes a seat and suppresses a sigh, her lips pursed together. Sharon quirks an eyebrow with a tiny smirk, “Had a good piss?”

 

Natasha visibly cringes.

What the hell is she saying?

”Ahh...yeah, like a waterfall...” She replies back awkwardly, scrutinizing her carefully.

“Waterfall. Good one.” Sharon chuckles, her face different and lit up.

Natasha narrows her eyes and leans in. “Did Steve say something to you?” She asks gently. “Is that why you’re like this? You look different from when I left you. You’re all smiley.”

”What, you prefer me to scowl?” Sharon’s smirk widens, making Natasha narrow her eyes into slits with suspicion.

A waiter comes to take their orders and Natasha stares at Sharon the whole time as Sharon tells the waiter her cold drink and meal. Natasha just goes for a vanilla milkshake and nothing else, she’s getting sick of chocolate these days. When the waiter leaves, Sharon's eyes start darting at Steve’s group of friends.

Natasha doesn’t even bother to ask. She is done with this whole ‘match-making’ bullshit. It gets quiet on the table. She slouches in her seat and crosses her arms over her chest, until finally Sharon speaks.

”Nat, what do you think about Bucky?” 

Natasha snaps her gaze at her and studies the blonde’s expression carefully. There is something bright in her blue eyes and Natasha wonders what it’s all about. “What kind of question is that?”

Sharon rolls her eyes, a cute yet naughty smile still plastered on her face. “What do you mean by that? You know what I’m asking, dumb dumb.”

Natasha scowls. “Please don’t tell me you like him now.” She starts to feel agitated now.

”Natasha, no!” 

Natasha sighs in relief. “Good.”

Sharon can’t help but smirk. “Why?”

Natasha snaps a glare at her. “What kind of question is that?”

”What, do, you, think about him?” Sharon asks again with impatience.

”I think he’s just a guy, Sharon!” Natasha bursts, her face now red. Natasha feels weird and angry, and in Sharon’s eyes she’s caught red-handed.

”Is he hot for you?” Sharon tries another jibe, trying to gauge another juicy reaction from her best friend.

Natasha glowers at her so hard that Sharon is surprised she’s not burning in flames right now.

”What is this?” Natasha asks.

”What?”

Finally. Their drinks come.

Natasha takes her milkshake, tears the paper wrapped around the straw before dipping it into her beverage and starts drinking. She avoids the blonde’s gaze and is trying to calm this arising feeling inside.

Sharon sighs and watches her friend. She glances at Bucky with his group of friends again, completely ignoring Steve’s existence there, and when she does Bucky's gaze suddenly lands on Natasha before it shifts to her. He instantly looks away.

 _Oooh_. Sharon thinks. _Talk about teenage love affair._

 

__________

 

 _”Oh shit...”_ Sharon groans, in pain, “Fuck!”

Natasha makes an unladylike snort as they walk up her porch. She stops there and turns to watch Sharon climb up her porch steps with her arm curled around her stomach.

”Told ya that was too much. I tried to convince you to leave some in a box for later, and now look at you.”

”Do you, honestly, think, that I,” Sharon punctuates each word as she gets up each step, “would take, any of it home? My brothers are pigs. Which is why I eat everything that I can in restaurants to not take anything home.”

Natasha laughs, and mockingly rubs her back. “You poor kid. Are you okay to drive?”

”I can handle, man. Just got a big tummy right now, won’t disturb anything.” 

Natasha chuckles, she pats her shoulder awkwardly. “Okay, kid. Look, that was a good eat, thanks.”

”You didn’t eat shit. You drank, that’s what.”

”Best milkshake of my life.” Natasha sighs blissfully, still tasting it in her mouth.

Sharon smiles.

”You’re lucky you’re not in a food coma though.” 

“Hey, Nat?”

Natasha steps closer. “Yeah?”

”I-I know about you & that guy Bucky.”

Natasha freezes, her face paling. Shit. _Did she just find us out that quick_?

”And listen, I’m not mad. Not mad at you for not telling me or because he’s related to Steve...”

The redhead slightly jerks her head back at Sharon’s last words. It doesn’t sound like she’s talking about the ‘plan’ of setting her and Steve up.

”What?” Natasha says in confusion.

”I’m just happy that you’ve found a guy for yourself, you know. He’s pretty cute, very cute.” Sharon sadly smiles and squeezes Natasha’s shoulder.

Her jaw has dropped, “Shar, that’s not—“

”I gotta go.” Sharon sighs and holds her stomach again. “Crap, I’m so packed!”

Natasha watches Sharon descend down the steps of her porch with a shocked frown etched on her face, lost for words. 

 _Gross_. Natasha hears herself cringe. _I would never go for that jackward-Mr-Popularity-jackass_. “Not in a million years, Sharon.” She says once Sharon’s car drives away.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ok just a reminder that these characters are teens, so there are some petty-ass shit that go down...and tasteless jokes.

It’s after half an hour since Sharon & Natasha have left the restaurant. The boys there stay longer, with their drinks and all, talking smack.

”I got them all wrapped around my finger! I got one in the morning, my arm wrapped around her shoulders. One during recess, my arm wrapped around her waist. And one after school, my hand raking up her thigh under her skirt. And the day just went from PG to 18 plus, ya know what I mean?” Gerard brags, the boys’ eyebrows raised up to their hairlines because why would anyone consider dating _this_ jackass?

Bucky rolls his eyes grinning. “Yeah he’s just talking shit.”

”Like you got game, bro.” Gerard scoffs.

Gabe rolls his eyes.

"Hey, man, Bucky really likes that chic. That one with the reddish-brownish hair." Sam is pointing the girl to Steve who is smirking proudly once his eyes land on her.

"Her hair is ivory, dickhead." Bucky grumbles.

"And what happened to Connie?" Devon, one of the many friends among the group, asks with a smug look on his face.

Bucky rolls his eyes. “We were over, don't know what the fuck happened earlier."

"She's craaazy!" Gabe sings,

"Man, shut up." Sam laughs.

"Delusional, yes." Steve agrees.

"Yeah just like Lorraine, right?" Bucky shoots him a look, which he returns with a glare.

“What’s her name, Buck?” Sam asks.

”Dolores.” Bucky makes a lopsided grin, giving a small glance to the ivory-head beauty in a booth far away.

”Any chance with a girl that pretty?” Gerard quips.

”Hope so.” Bucky chuckles.

”Huh.” 

“It’d lick Natasha Romanoff’s ass. Or maybe I’d drink her bath water.” Devon blurts out.

Steve jerks back and the others look at him funny.

”Dafuck?” Bucky wrinkles his nose.

”Dude, she is pretty. But you don’t have to be that...- you know.” Sam says.

”Yeah, ya nasty.” Gabe shakes his head at Devon.

 

Gerard is still looking at Bucky. “Get her.”

”What?” Bucky frowns.

 “Dolores. Get her, tiger.”

”Did you just call me—“

”Get her or she’s mine.” Gerard says with a challenging voice.

Bucky glares at him and slowly stands, now actually making the guy look & feel small. “Last time you call me tiger, understood?”

Gerard gulps hard.

Sam watches with a knowing look on his face, then yells as Bucky walks up to Dolores. “Yeah, Bucknasty! Go get that kitten, tiger!”

”Bucknasty.” Gabe laughs.

”Dude, seriously? And you called me gross.” Devon shakes his head. “A tiger and a kitten...that’s pedophilia. I hope you do realize that.”

Everyone there stops to look at this boy funny.

”...you know he does have a point.” Steve speaks up. “Pretty yucky if you think about it.”

”Man, shut up.” Gabe says.

 

 

 

The boys are interested enough to stop talking once they see Bucky walk back. They want to know if he was able to snatch the girl as he is born with the ability to get any girl he wants.

He sits down, silently, and the whole table is too silent.

”We’re waiting.” Gerard breaks the silence.

”Buck looks like an angsty emo, am I the only one seeing this?” Gabe says.

”I know, man, I see it too. He usually smirks like the cocky shit he is after he gets the girl.” Sam says.

Bucky glares at the two of them. “I’m right here.”

”She turn you down didn’t she?” Gabe asks dryly, no need for an answer even.

”Ha!” Devon lets out a sound. They all briefly look at him awkwardly, and he sits back down.

”What happened?” Steve asks.

”I didn’t get the girl. Thought that was obvious.” The brunette grumbles.

Steve sighs. “And your enflated ego dug your grave deeper, didn’t it? What happened?” 

”I...I thought I was going straight, man, you know. We talked, she was smiling. Blushing, even. I was doing so good. And then, she invites me to a party this Saturday. We’re all going by the way.” Bucky briefly pauses to give them a dark look before he continues, “So before I left, she suggested that I bring my _girlfriend_ along with. I don’t even stop her there because then, what the fuck, man, game over. She thinks I have a girlfriend, and she subtly says she has a boyfriend too. I told her okay, I’ll bring my girlfriend along. Not even bothering to fix that error. I don’t _have_ a fucking girlfriend. But that moment I did. I might as well have. I kinda bragged about it...”

”Ooh.” Gabe comments with a cringe. 

”And you know what the worst part is?” Bucky looks so desperate right now, Sam is snorting in his hand like an ass. “She is so excited on meeting my girlfriend! You know, the one who doesn’t exist?!”

”Ahh, take Connie back.” Devon suggests with a dull, bored voice.

”No thanks.” Bucky dismisses that idea.

”So what are you gonna do?” Steve asks.

Bucky sighs. “I don’t know. Whatever I can take outta my ass in the morning, that’s for sure.”

 

_________________

 

" _Shit._ " Clint curses, his eyes could pop out anytime looking down at her phone screen like that.

First thing early in the morning of school and Natasha is already telling her 'guy'-friend about what she found last evening on her laptop.

Natasha nods. "I know."

" _Her_?" He looks at her in shock, then back down at the explicit image. " _Her_? I mean, why? _Why her_?"

Natasha jerks her head back. "Why not, man? She's lame."

"I liked Lorraine!"

She stares at him very incredulous and shocked, and disgusted. " _Gross_."

"What, dude? She's-"

"Just shut up." Natasha looks around and rolls her eyes. "You don't just say things like being in love with a whore out loud like that."

"You're slut-shaming." He points.

"Should I send myself to jail for calling something as it is?"

"Nat!"

She shrugs. "No. I shouldn't."

"I mean." He ignores that. " _Where_ -?  _how_ -? what-  you know what, let me not." He shakes his head, and scrolls through more saved pictures. "I forgot you're weird sometimes."

She simply shrugs again.

"This is sad." He looks at her with a depressed expression and hands her her cellphone back.

"Tell that to her, man." She pockets her phone.

"Why show me though?" He frowns.

"Someone needs to know. And who better than Hawkass."

"Hawk- _eye_. For the trizillionth time."

"I don't speak idiot. Sorry." She says dryly. _Trizillion. Ha._

"You asshole."

She winks, leans off the wall, and walks into the school entrance.

 _'Alright. It's Friday. I can get through this shit.'_ She mutters to herself as she walks down the hallway, ignoring everyone else around her as she heads to her locker. _'Which means today's gonna drag as Fridays always do.'_

The first thing she is going to do when she sees Sharon is tell her that she is crazy and out of her mind to see her & that... _Bucky_...dating, as a damn 'couple'. She so wants to fix that right now.

 

"Hey." A familiar guy voice almost startles her when she tries to open her lock. She nearly jumps out of her skin. "Shit." She breathes, and turns around. She raises a surprised eyebrow at Bucky. "Oh," she says lamely. So they're still talking? _Could've fooled me_.  "Hey, man." She pauses.

            _'Hey, man?'_ He's not Clint. She feels a heat of embarrassment on her face immediately, and in the back of her head she's wondering how she's come to this point of giving a shit how she looks in front of this Bucky Barnes dude.

"How are you?" He asks with a genuine smile.

I mean shit, he could've just slapped her in the face. "Wha-? I'm, I'm good. And you?" What sort of game is this?

"Not bad. I'm great...I'm actually fine."

"Oh." She says at his lame response. She really isn't up for this crap right now. "Look, man-" She instantly stops herself. The _'man'_ again? Really? She needs to stop spending time with Clint. She awkwardly clears her throat. "If this is about the letter, you can kindly fuck off. Honestly." She didn't mean to sound harsh but she doesn't want to take her words back at all. 

"Yeah yeah. I got it. We're over that shit. Heard you loud and clear." He looks mildly annoyed now, finally dropping his niceties. 

"Then what is it? Obviously you need something, am I right? You need someone who has time to waste?" It's like his annoyance is contagious.

"I need you..." He strangely clears his throat, "to be my fake girlfriend."

She freezes, staring at him like a fish. Before a smile plasters on her face. "Get outta here." She starts chuckling. "I mean..." she shakes her head laughing, "And I thought I was out of my mind sometimes, now I have to listen to this crap. Great one. Be your fake girlfriend, after trying to set our best friends up this same fucking week. Great timing. I mean, you couldn't wait... if you're actually being serious. If you are... I mean, great fucking timing-"

 He almost rolls his eyes. " _Yes_ , or _no_." He glares down at her.

"You're not my type, so people would get suspicious." She says flatly, shrugging, then snapping her locker open.

He narrows his eyes. "Like I give a shit?"

"You should. You want to sell something people will buy right?" She says back coldly.

"So that's a no." He snaps.

She stares at him blankly for over an amount of time, before she speaks, "Never said that."

He is getting frustrated with this redheaded girl. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"I have a lot to sacrifice if I say yes, must you know." She says nonchalantly as she takes out her period books from her locker. 

"Like what?" He growls.

"Like wasting my time to be with you..." She says serenely, packing the books in her bag. "I have better things to do."

He rolls his eyes. "Whatever." He turns to leave.

"But okay. I'll do it." She stops him from walking away any further. "I thought about it," she chews the inside of her cheek.

"This shortly?" He glowers at her back as she closes the locker.

"Yes." She turns. "Let's have a double-date. Me, you, Steve and Sharon. _Tonight_.”

Natasha then tilts her head, green eyes glistening in amusement. ”You know where I live right?" She just had to say that. 

"Are you fucking kidding me?!" He snarls.

"I don't kid, dude." She rolls her eyes. 

"I thought you said-"

  
"Well I change my mind." She raises her chin up arrogantly. Sharon already _thinks_ they're dating. 

He glares at her. "Like I said, you're impossible."

She calmly blinks. "You're the one who came to me. Remember?"

"I can't stand that I did."

She visibly cringes. "Mister Popularity ran out of girls to use?" She scoffs. "Take it like this. You use me, I use you. I use you to finish this plan of ours and you use me for, what, to make another girl jealous?"

He silently gives her a withering look, she shrugs.

"Whatever, man." She says.


End file.
